Improvement in pumping-engines



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E. D. a F. w.'EAMEs.

Pumping-Engine.

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Pumping-Engine. NO. 127,322. Patentd May 2.8.1872'.V

'u'e l Q s' Z .3% 'n HIIIIIIIIIIIIIM UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ELISHA D. EAMES AND FREDERICK W. EAMES, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUNlPlNG-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,322, dated May 28, 1872,' antedated May 20, 1872.

To whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELIsnA D. and FRED- ERIGK W. EAMES, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in' Automatic Pumping-Engines, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to pumping-engines operated from a sufficient head of water; and the said invention consists, first, in obtaining the return stroke of the driving-piston through the elevation of the pump -piston by means of charging the pump-cylinder under direct pressure from the head of water; second, in the combination, with the pump-cylinder, of an automatic pumping-engine, having a smaller diameter than the driving-cylinder of a valve, so arranged as to relieve the pressure under the drivin g-piston at the moment when the direct pressure of the head of water is to operate the pump-piston in order to accomplish the return stroke of the drivin g-piston 5 third, in balancing the valve of an automatic engine, by means of a piston, suitably connected to the valve to allowthevalve to be operated by a power exceeding but little its own gravity; fourth, in forming the upper seat of a balancevalve of a smaller diameter than that of the valve, in order to `enable the pressure of the head of water on the larger area of the under side of the piston to keep the valve in an elevated position during the return stroke of the driving piston; fifth, in operating the main valve from the driving-piston by means of a balance-weight heavier than the gravity of the valve, in order to automatically admit or shut olf the head of water from the driving-cylinder; and, lastly, in the construction, combination, and arrangement ofthe parts in such' a manner as to form a smooth working auto matic pumping-engine, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1, Sheet I, represents a longitudinal vertical section of our improved pumping-engine, some of the parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2, Sheet I, is a plan or top view of the sam e. Fig. 3, Sheet II, is a front elevation; and Fig. 4, Sheet II, an under side view of the same. Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet II, are a horizontal section and side elevation, respectively, of the bearing of the walking-beam of our improved engine.

The head of water is admitted in any suitable manner to the valve-chamber a, open at both ends, through an opening, b, which is arranged with relation to the valve c and the piston d on the valverod e, as to be always between the valve and piston, whatever their position maybe. Onthe inside of valve-chamber a are formed the upper and lower bearings fgfor the valve c, the upper bearing f having a smaller diameter than the valve, in order to reduce the area of the latter when in position against said bearing. From between these bearings opens the passage h, connectingwith the under side of the drivin g-cylinder i, through which passage the water flows from the valvechamber a to elevate the driving piston j. The cylinder c and valve-chamber a, are arranged on a bed-plate, 7c, the valve-chamber extending below said bed-plate, as shown in the drawing. At the opposite endol the bedplate k is arranged a pump-cylinder, l, of a very much smaller diameter than the cylinder i, which pump-cylinder is connected, by means of a passage, m, under the bed-plate, with an air-chamber, n, located between the two cylinders, and, by means of a passage, o, with an opening, p, which in any suitableJ manner is connected to the same head of water which supplies the valVechamber, or may be connected directly to the valve-chamber below the piston d, so as to take the pressure through said valve-chamber instead of from the head direct. A valve, m', closes the passage m in air-chamber n, while a valve, o', closes the passage o in the pump-cylinder Z. Pivoted to the drivin g-piston j is the piston-rod j', the upper end of which is pivoted to a walkin g-beam, 1'. The piston-rod carries two arms, s s1, extending parallel with' the walking-beam, so as to come alternately into contact with a pin, s2, on the inner arm of a balance-link, t, during the up-and-down movement of the piston-rod. This balance-link t is mounted by a bearing upon the pin or arm t', on which the walkingbeam is also mounted. From the hub of the balance-linlr t, extends an arm or lever, u,ear rying at its end a weight,a1, sufficiently heavy to overcome the weight of the valve c andv piston d. The free end of the link t extends between two slotted arms, u2, in the slots of which a pin, a3, secured on and passing through the free end of link t, has a free movement. The arms u2 unite at their lower ends and embrace the valve-rod e between two bearings'w, formed on or secured to said valve-rod. Between the lower end of the arms a2 and the bearings o, are located elastic cushions n', which break the concussion when the pin a3 operates against the upper or lower ends of the slots in arms u2. The piston w of the pumpcylinder l is connected to the walking-beam by means of a piston-rod, w.

The operation of our improved automatic pumping-en gine is as follows: The water having free communication from its head enters the valve-chamber a, and passes from the same through the passage h into the driving-cylinder i and elevates the piston j, and, through its rod j and the walking beam r, depresses the piston w in the pump-cylinder t, thus forcing the water in the same through the passa-ge m into the air-chamber n, from where it may be discharged through any suitable opening, and forced to the point or points desired, the-valve o closing the passage o during this operation, while the valve m remains open. When the arm s1, by reason of the elevation of piston j and piston-rodj, reaches the pin s2 on the inner arm of the link t,it elevates the same by revolving the link on' its bearing, and carrying the lever uwith its weight u1, which is in-` clined to one side over its center on the bear` ing to the other side. Dnrin g all this operation the valve c and piston d, have remained immovably in position, but at the moment the lever u is carried over the center its weight al, falling with a sudden shock, elevates the piston d and valve c, which being perfectly balanced, are easily operated. This movement is arrested by the pin a3 striking against the upper ends of the slot in the slotted arms u2. The valve c now bears against its upper bearing f, and presents a smaller area to the head of water than the piston d, and consequently the balanceof pressure is on the piston, and thus aids in keeping the valve elevated until again pressed down by outside force. The elevation of the valve c having shut ofi the head of water from the passage h, the latter is thereby placed in communication with the open lower end of the valve-chamber a, and the-water in the cylinder t' under the piston j is free to flow off through the passage h and the open lower end of valve-chamber a into a waste flue, thus relieveing all pressure on the under side of piston j, and allowing a small power to depress the piston. At the same time the downward pressure of the piston w, in the cylinder l being relieved, the valve m closes and valve o opens, thereby allowing the head of water pressing against the valve o through passage o to enter the cylinder l, and, by elevatingthe piston fw, not only ll the cylinder with water under pressure, but also to return the piston j to the bottom of its cylinder. As the pistonj sinks in the cylinder i,

the arms s s1 are carried downwith it, and the upper arm s coming into contact with the pin s2 depresses the link, carries the lever u with its weight back over the center, and the pin uf* striking against the lower of the slots in the slotted arms u2 forces the piston d and valve c to their former position, thereby again allowing the head of water to flow intothe passage h. and cylinder t', and repeating the operation above described.

Inr order to soften the blow on the valve-rod e the elastic cushions n are placed between the bea-rings t on the rod e and the lower end of the arms u2, thereby rendering the engine smooth working and almost noiseless. As there is always a vgreat surplus of power beyond that required in elevating the piston fw of the pump-cylinder l, we may weight that arm of the walking-beam r connected to the piston w, so as to have the additional weight assist in depressing said piston, and conse quently in the elevation of water to the desired point. The engine may be made to run faster or slower by either regulating the influx of water, or by means of a stop-cock on the discharge-pipe near the air-chamber, so as to have the engine work against a greater or less pressure, as may be desired.

In Figs. 5 and Gis shown the bearing for the walking-beam; it consists of a cast-iron rim, x, formed on or secured to the walking-beam r into which rim is fitted a circular-block of Zfignum vitae, y, having the proper opening for the bearing-pin t formed in it. This lig/aum vita bearing may be lubricated bya small pipe, z, arranged over it, and communicating either with the cylinder t', or any other source from which water may flow to it,.from which pipe water may be allowed to drip into said bear ing. This bearin g is of especial value in our engine, as the same is generally placed at a short distance from railroad stations, &c., and requires no attendant to oil or lubricate it.

lt will be readily seen from the foregoing description, that a very small head of water is sufficient to operate our engine, as no suction occurs in the same, the pressure of the head of water llin g the pump-cylinder, thereby obviating suction. The engine can stop only when the weight does not operate the valve with all the force of its fall over the center, and should this occur, any common laborer or workman near the engine, seeing it stop, can, by simply pressing the weighted lever down on whichever side it may be inclined, set it going, while it can be stopped at any moment by easing the weighted lever over the center, without allowing it to operate the valve c.

Having described our invention, we claim- 1. An automatic pumping-engine in which the return stroke of the driving-piston is effected by changing the direct pressure from the head of water from the driving-piston to the pump-piston, so that the latter alone cffects the return stroke of the former, essentially as described.

2. In combination with the pump and driving cylinders of anaut'omatic pumpingengine which are charged alternately, and never both at the same time, by direct pressure to effect the return stroke of the driving-piston, We claim a valve so arranged as to relieve the pressure under the d1-i\ ing-piston at the moment when the direct pressure is exerted under the pump-piston, essentially as described,

. by shutting oft' the head of Water entirelyfrom the drivingpiston.

3. In an `automatic pumping-engine, We claim a valve, c, balanced by means of'a piston suitably connected to the valve so as to admit or shut oi' the Water from the cylinder i, essentially as described.

4. In combination with the piston d 'and valve 0 of an automatic pumping-en gine, which are operated by the direct pressure of the head of Water only, We claim the upper Valve bearing f, of asmaller diameter than the valve to assist in sustaining the valve in an elevated position, essentially as described.

5. The combination of the passages m o and valves'm o', air-chamber n, pump-cylinder l, opening p, piston fw, and suitable connecting mechanism with the valve c, essentially as and for the purposes described.

- 6. The arrangement of the passage h, from cylinder i, inrelation to the valve c, to either open communication with the head of Water, or allow the free efflux of Water from the cylinder i, essentially as described.

7. In an automatic pumping-engine We claim the cylindersi Z, With theirl pistons j and w,

the valve-chamber a, with the automatically Y operated valve c and piston d, air chamber n, passages h m o, valves m' and o', and balance beam r, with piston-rods j and w', combined and arranged to operate essentially as described. I f

ELISHA D. EAMES. FREDERICK W. EAMES.

In presence oil-V J oHN C. HEALY, S. M. QUINN. 

